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Ortaköy was formerly a village, but now is a suburb of Nicosia, located west of the capital. Ortaköy means “middle village” in Turkish, a name that it acquired because of its location between Trakhonas/Kızılay and Geunyeli/Gönyeli. It was always predominantly inhabited by Turkish Cypriots. The other name often used by Greek Cypriots is Minzelli. Ortakeuy became a suburb in the late 1950s, when Nicosia’s population began to spread outside the city walls.

 

 

Until 1931, Ortakeuy/Ortaköy was predominantly inhabited by Turkish Cypriots. According to the British census of 1891, Muslims constituted the sole population of Ortakeuy/Ortaköy. The population of Ortakeuy/Ortaköy became less homogenous in the 1930s, when some Greek Cypriots moved into the area. During the 1950s, there were also British and Armenian inhabitants of the village, which by then had become a neighborhood of the expanding capital. In 1960, the population of Ortakeuy/Ortaköy was 1,248 (997 Turkish Cypriots, 50 Greek Cypriots, 63 Armenians and 117 British and others).

Displacement:

The first conflict-related displacement occurred during the intercommunal disturbances of the 1960s, when the Greek Cypriot and Armenian inhabitants of Ortakeuy/Ortaköy left the neighborhood. They were never allowed back. Also, during the same period, Ortakeuy/Ortaköy became an important displaced persons reception center for Turkish Cypriots. Many displaced Turkish Cypriots from nearby neighborhoods and villages arrived there, and a large refugee camp was erected in the northern part of the neighborhood. Most of these displaced families came from villages such as Skylloura/Yılmazköy(096), Akaki/Akaça(013), Deneia(027), Agios Vasileios/Türkeli(010), Peristerona(085), Kato Lakadameia(057); from neighborhoods such as Tahtakale and Omeriye in the walled city Nicosia(074); and from the Omorfita/Küçük Kaymaklı(077) suburb.

Current Inhabitants:

Currently the neighborhood is mainly occupied by its original Turkish Cypriot inhabitants and displaced Turkish Cypriots who moved there in 1964 and 1974. In addition, development in the area over the past two decades has brought many other non-displaced Turkish Cypriots from elsewhere, who have bought homes and settled in the neighborhood. Ortaköy also houses some Turkish nationals who come to work or study in Cyprus. The population of Ortaköy increased from 4,180 in 1978 to 6,277 in 2006. 

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Websites:

• http://www.cyprus-village.com/ (for the villages)
• http://news.karpasha.com/
• http://human-rights-archaeology.blogspot.com/
• http://kypros.org/Occupied_Cyprus/ (for the villages in the north)